Review: Cracked Up to Be

    

Author: Courtney Summers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | TBD

Synopsis: When "Perfect" Parker Fadley starts drinking at school and failing her classes, all of St. Peter's High goes on alert. How has the cheerleading captain, girlfriend of the most popular guy in school, consummate teacher's pet, and future valedictorian fallen so far from grace?

Parker doesn't want to talk about it. She'd just like to be left alone, to disappear, to be ignored. But her parents have placed her on suicide watch and her conselors are demanding the truth. Worse, there's a nice guy falling in love with her and he's making her feel things again when she'd really rather not be feeling anything at all.

Nobody would have guessed she'd turn out like this. But nobody knows the truth.

Something horrible has happened, and it just might be her fault.

Review:

The first time Parker showed her attitude in the book, I immediately thought that there's more depth than this and it didn't failed me.

I can't stop reading until I eventually knew what really happened that night. It's tough how guilt can consume you and eventually lead you to self destruct.

This is definitely an amazing debut novel. The mystery wrapped inside is enough for you not to put it down until you finish it. It definitely strikes up one's curiosity to explain the issues Parker faces.

I personally like how it ended; not the cliché happy ending but an open one. It's up to you to think what will happen next but it let's you know that everything will be fine now. That Parker will be okay now.

Review: The Future of Us

    

Author: Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | TBD

Synopsis: It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

Review:

The thought of knowing your a part of your future is tempting but sometimes, not knowing any of it is so much better.

I was a bit excited to read this book since it'a an Asher novel but I was sort of disappointed when I found this book as 'okay' but not 'a-okay'. I guess I just expected more.

I hated Emma though and how self-centered she is. She was obviously jealous of Josh's future and changed everything she could just to make sure she'll have a happy life in the future but what she failed to do is to remember that what she does now, not just the changes, could be a great factor too. She forgot how to live in the present and focused at something she has no control.

Instead of being amused and being sucked into the story, I was more like annoyed with the turn of events and how the characters acted and reacted with what's happening. Though I understand that these were meant to show us their flaws, it gave off negative vibes. Maybe it's the way it was written, maybe it's just me being close-minded, I honestly don't know. Unfortunately, this novel is not my cup of tea.